# project

Set the name of the project.

## Synopsis

    project(<PROJECT-NAME> [<language-name>...])
    project(<PROJECT-NAME>
            [VERSION <major>[.<minor>[.<patch>[.<tweak>]]]]
            [DESCRIPTION <project-description-string>]
            [HOMEPAGE_URL <url-string>]
            [LANGUAGES <language-name>...])

Sets the name of the project, and stores it in the variable `PROJECT_NAME`. When called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt` also stores the project name in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME`.

Also sets the variables

- `PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_SOURCE_DIR`
- `PROJECT_BINARY_DIR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_BINARY_DIR`

Further variables are set by the optional arguments described in the following. If any of these arguments is not used, then the corresponding variables are set to the empty string.

If the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_<PROJECT-NAME>_INCLUDE` exists, the file pointed to by that variable will be included as the last step of the project command.

## Options

The options are:

`VERSION <version>`

  Optional; may not be used unless policy `CMP0048` is set to `NEW`.

  Takes a `<version>` argument composed of non-negative integer components, i.e. `<major>[.<minor>[.<patch>[.<tweak>]]]`, and sets the variables

  - `PROJECT_VERSION`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION`
  - `PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MAJOR`
  - `PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_MINOR`
  - `PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_PATCH`
  - `PROJECT_VERSION_TWEAK`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_VERSION_TWEAK`.

  When the `project()` command is called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt`, then the version is also stored in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION`.

`DESCRIPTION <project-description-string>`

  Optional. Sets the variables

  - `PROJECT_DESCRIPTION`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_DESCRIPTION`

  to `<project-description-string>`. It is recommended that this description is a relatively short string, usually no more than a few words.

  When the `project()` command is called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt`, then the description is also stored in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION`.

`HOMEPAGE_URL <url-string>`

  Optional. Sets the variables

  - `PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL`, `<PROJECT-NAME>_HOMEPAGE_URL`

  to `<url-string>`, which should be the canonical home URL for the project.

  When the `project()` command is called from the top-level `CMakeLists.txt`, then the URL also is stored in the variable `CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL`.

`LANGUAGES <language-name>...`

  Optional. Can also be specified without `LANGUAGES` keyword per the first, short signature.

  Selects which programming languages are needed to build the project. Supported languages include `C`, `CXX` (i.e. C++), `CUDA`, `Fortran`, and `ASM`. By default `C` and `CXX` are enabled if no language options are given. Specify language `NONE`, or use the `LANGUAGES` keyword and list no languages, to skip enabling any languages.

  If enabling `ASM`, list it last so that CMake can check whether compilers for other languages like `C` work for assembly too.

The variables set through the `VERSION`, `DESCRIPTION` and `HOMEPAGE_URL` options are intended for use as default values in package metadata and documentation.

## Usage

The top-level `CMakeLists.txt` file for a project must contain a literal, direct call to the `project()` command; loading one through the `include()` command is not sufficient. If no such call exists CMake will implicitly add one to the top that enables the default languages (`C` and `CXX`).

Note

Call the `cmake_minimum_required()` command at the beginning of the top-level `CMakeLists.txt` file even before calling the `project()` command. It is important to establish version and policy settings before invoking other commands whose behavior they may affect. See also policy `CMP0000`.